


I'LL BE THE ONE, IF YOU WANT ME TO

by jean_huh_kirschnickerdoodle



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, Last Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-01-30
Packaged: 2018-01-10 13:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jean_huh_kirschnickerdoodle/pseuds/jean_huh_kirschnickerdoodle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke could never bring himself to fully abandon the number one hyperactive ninja, never bring himself to sever the ties that bind them. But maybe... maybe this time would be different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'LL BE THE ONE, IF YOU WANT ME TO

**Author's Note:**

> completely inspired by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC8tP9Oo52Y. lyrics incorporated into the story.

He had been here before. More times than he could count. More times than he cared to remember. He always managed to find his way back here, hiding in the shadows like the rogue ninja he was, just watching, waiting. Wishing he could just call his name. Hear his laugh. See him look at him like he used to. Then, no matter how many times he visited, no matter what he had done, he couldn't ignore the pain in his chest, the tightness in his throat, the way his stomach churned and his thoughts swirled in his mind. And no forbidden jutsu could stop it from happening, even his great Uchiha eyes couldn't see how it had happened.

He sat in the shadows, watching like the hawk that his renegade group was named for. His eyes glowed red, as he watched with greater intensity than he had ever done so before. He was there, mere yards away from him, and all Sasuke could do was watch. Watch as he trained his body, his mind, his spirit. Trained his very being to the core. And moreover, the raven knew, oh he _knew_ that the blond wasn't training this hard to be hokage. No, he trained for him. He trained to keep his promise, to return his once best friend home.

' _Anywhere, I would have followed you.'_

 _Didn't you say that to me once, Naruto..?_ He felt a small chuckle bubble up from his chest, disappearing into nothingness before it ever reached his lips.

' _I'll be the one, if you want me to…'_

 _Always promises you could never keep, eh, dobe?_ A smirk pulled at the corners of his lips, but his body left him no time to contemplate it. His fingers flexed and relaxed of their own accord, the tension building, a sort of itch growing underneath his porcelain skin. It was a stupid decision to stay this long, and it was a stupid decision to come in the first place. Why was he even here?

' _It was over my head; I know nothing at all…'_

"Naruto!" That voice… that was… shit. The blond turned and looked directly at him, his whole world freezing and his eyes widening. He may not have heard the words, but he saw those familiar lips say his name. Of course he would turn to him; after all, Sasuke had called his name. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, mentally kicking himself for his temporary loss of control.

With the inherent grace of an Uchiha, he leapt from the tree, landing with nothing more than a puff of dust from the ground beneath him. He didn't falter as he looked into those never-changing azure eyes, refusing to get any closer than he was. The raven had no need to fear, he knew it was only the two of them now. He had made sure to take Sakura out of the picture, as he had each time he had come to visit.

"S-sasuke…?"

There was that voice. That same raspy, dumbfounded, idiotic voice. The voice that had pushed him to the edge more times than any other, the voice that had pushed him to be stronger, that had brought him back from the darkness when it had swallowed him whole, the voice that he'd never admit riled him up and, yet, it was his tranquility.

"Are you… are you really," Before the blond could finish, Sasuke smirked down at him in an answer to his question, "Why are you here…?"

Because I'm lonely. Because I miss you. Because I—"Aren't I allowed to come visit my old friends?" The sarcasm that tainted his words surprised even Sasuke himself.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Sasuke!" Naruto's voice was a growl, and he wondered how much of it was the blond's rage, or the demon within him seeping out toward the one person who could quell it. "You tried to kill Sakura! And Kakashi sensei! You said that we would—" He bit back his words. "You declared war on the village! And you expect me to just believe you come waltzing back in here just to what, say hi and have a drink for old time's sake!?"

' _I will stumble and fall; I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl…'_

Sasuke couldn't deny the pain he felt at the sound of the blond's voice, even if he kept his emotions well-hidden behind a mask, always. It was almost a surprise when he noticed the naturally tan hands trembling; he wasn't afraid, oh no, not afraid. Naruto was never afraid of him, even when he should have been. He was too much of an idiot to be afraid. It was the same for him, he felt that itching need to prove that this was real, to prove the raven was really there.

Sasuke grinned; he knew it was arrogant, that better-than-all-of-you-shits grin, and unsheathed the kusanagi. He ran his fingers along its edge, forcing the attention of his eyes to his hands. "I'm a rogue ninja, Naruto. An Akatsuki. Enemy of the leaf. Danger to us all." He flicked his attention back to the blond. "Don't you have a duty to kill me? As'future hokage'?"

Naruto said nothing. He didn't have to. He just stared at the raven, his blue eyes boring into him, digging under his skin and stripping away the walls that shrouded his soul. The blond didn't even have to move. He could feel it getting to him, peeling his flesh back, grinding away at the hatred until there was nothing but Sasuke. He felt his sharingan fade away, his grin shifting to a small, genuine smile.

_You won't do it, will you?_

"Say something." His voice was colder, more urgent than he expected. But nothing could have prepared him for what he heard in response.

"I'm giving up on you."

The words were quiet as they slipped from Naruto's mouth, and yet they echoed inside of Sasuke, pushing to his core. He suddenly forgot how to breathe, an overwhelming heat spreading through his body and making his vision blur. Naruto... had given up on him? Naruto, who had chased him everywhere, who boasted of their unbreakable bond? Naruto who had fought a sannin, begged on his hands and knees to a kage, destroyed the assumed leader of the akastuki, all to bring him back… had given up on him?

' _I will swallow my pride; you're the one that I love, and I'm saying goodbye…'_

"So that's it, huh…" He was talking more to himself, knowing Naruto was only watching him. He had given up, and he should kill him, but Sasuke knew the blond never could bring himself to do it. _But I can…_

He stared down at his blade, only a second of hesitation before lifting the blade and sinking it into his abdomen, feeling his skin easily give underneath the sharp edge of the kusanagi, the metal pushing through him and out his back. His world spun at the acidic heat that churned at his core, sucking the warmth from the rest of his body, his eyes desperately trying to focus as the blood spilled from the new wound, unbidden by the blade as he tossed it to the side.

Something caught his attention, his eyes suddenly focusing and he realized it was the bright orange and blond that was Naruto. _So easy to target, aren't you, dobe?_ He felt himself collapse forward, falling into familiar arms, a familiar scent that he could never quite forget seeming to make his body relax. Naruto was yelling, and shaking him. What was he saying? Why couldn't he hear? He wanted to hear him…

"—ke! Sasuke!"

Ah… right…

"What the fuck!? What the fuck are you doing, idiot!?"

Was he angry? Of course he was… how could he be anything less? Sasuke had been nothing but a troublesome burden to Naruto, and just like that he ended it? No warning? No goodbye? That was just like him, though, wasn't it?

Sasuke could feel a weak smile reaching his lips. "I've always—" His words died, shifting into a bloody, wet cough. "I've always loved you."

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! You're not going to—" He was pushing frantically against the wound, blood soaking into his sleeve and dyeing Sasuke's shirtfront crimson. "Sakura! Sakura where—" The way he yelled her name, the way his voice was fractured with tears…he knew.

Sasuke found the strength to wrap weakening fingers into the front of Naruto's jacket. "I'm sorry, dobe, sorry, sorry…" His apologies died on his lips, body racked with bloody coughs.

Suddenly Naruto was much closer; when had he moved? His teeth were bared in a grimace, but his eyes showed nothing but pain. Pain? No… he wanted to free him… this would free him, surely.

"Sasuke, you bastard…" His voice was quiet, injured.

He could feel his body weakening in a way he had never experienced; he doubted he could even use his sharingan at this point. "You're the one that I love, dobe, it was always—" He pulled Naruto closer, pressing his bloody lips to the blond's. It wasn't their first kiss, but Sasuke knew it'd be their last. He opened his dark eyes as something hot and wet touched his face. Ah… Naruto… he was crying. Of course.

"Bastard…" His entire body was trembling around Sasuke. His voice was so quiet, so broken. Defeated. Nothing, _nothing_ had ever been able to do that. No; no matter what, Sasuke had never seen Naruto defeated, giving up. It went against his way of the ninja. "You bastard. I would've followed you anywhere."

He felt a small, painful laugh pushing from his own lips. "I know, dobe. I know…"

"Sasuke… Sasuke! No—no no no! Sasuke! Don't do this; you can't do this to me! Sasuke!" Naruto couldn't push down the panic, couldn't stop his body from trembling, couldn't stop the churning of his stomach or the clenching of his heart and hokages be damned if he could remember how to breathe.

He pulled Sasuke's limp body to his own, arms wrapped around him as his own tears fell against the porcelain skin. "Sasuke… Sasuke…" His words came out as nothing more than strained, choked sobs. "I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you…" His words died in his chest, and he found himself pressing his lips against Sasuke's, hoping against hope that he would kiss him back. He didn't.

Parting their lips, he stared down at the lifeless man in his arms, hand cupping his cheek. "I always knew you were watching me, I was always waiting for you." Carefully, he slid an arm under his thighs, the other around his shoulders and lifted him from the ground. His eyes were unfocused, not even noticing as he passed Sakura, who was crying in the arms of Kakashi. He carried the body of the one he loved more than any other, now a lifeless corpse, to the leaf Memorial Stone.

"You'll receive the hero's funeral that you always deserved…"


End file.
